Hope Shines Through
by ELM22
Summary: This is a short piece written in a dark mood. WARNING! Major character death.


A/N: I guess my thoughts were dark today. I was working on something else when the right piece of music came on and this thought entered my mind. I know there are times that are dark, but it passes and hope shines through.

WARNING: This story is a major character death. The first that I have written.

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Hope Shines Through

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Gil lay on his back as the clouds began to cover the sky. Sara pulled him into her arms. "Gil! Stay with me, baby, stay with me!" She looked around the empty street. "SOMEBODY HELP US!" But all was silent.

"Sa-Sa-Sara…" Gil croaked as blood appeared around his lips.

"No, baby, don't talk. Save your strength."

"Does-Doesn't matter now." Sara took his hand. "I-I lo-love you, Sara. I al-always have. Just nev-never had the courage to say it."

Sara couldn't stop the tears that flowed down her cheeks and she vaguely heard the sirens in the distance. "You're going to be just fine, Gil. We're going to get you to the hospital and the doctor's are going to patch you up."

Gil chuckled but was cut off by the pain in his chest and coughed as more blood filled his mouth. With his free hand he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small, black velvet box.

"This is for you… my mo-mother's… I wish I had had asked before it was t-too late."

Gil raised his blood covered hand and caressed Sara's cheek. She held his hand to her face after gently kissing his palm. His eyes were glazed with pain and he coughed again, spilling more blood from his lips.

"The sirens are getting closer, Gil. Jim and the rest of the team are coming. You're going to make it."

"I… love you… Sara." Gil panted for each breath.

"I… love you too… Gil." Sara sobbed.

Gil's eyes closed as his body went limp in her arms. She pressed her fingers to his neck and she felt no pulse she lay him on the ground and aggressively began performing CPR. Breaths and then chest compressions. Breaths and then chest compressions.

"Come on, dammit! You can't leave me, Gil!" Sara screamed as she furiously dropped her weight onto his chest, over and over again.

Jim's car tore around the corner and came into sight. The red strobe light on the dash board pierced the dark night. Catherine sat in his passenger's seat and in the black Denali that followed closely behind were Nick, Warrick and Greg. Behind them were two squad cars.

Jim pulled his car to a quick stop and jumped out. Catherine was at his side as they ran to where Sara sat on her knees beside Gil's still body. Jim knelt on the other side of his friend's lifeless form and gasped at all the blood that had soaked the front of Gil's clothes and had pooled on the ground around him.

The rest gathered around and watched Jim touch his fingers to the ashen skin on Gil's neck. Tears spilled from the detective's eyes as he looked up at the others and shook his head. Sara saw the movement and glared at the older man.

"NO! He's not! He's not fucking dead!" She continued her futile efforts to save the man whose dying words were 'I love you, Sara.'

Warrick knelt down behind Sara and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug. "He's gone, Sara. You need to let him go." Warrick didn't stop his own tears as she fought against him.

"NO! He can't be dead!" Sara wailed as his words pierced her heart. "He can't leave me!"

Sara broke free of Warrick's hold and scooped Gil's body into her arms again. She held him close as she screamed the pain in her heart. She buried her face into the crook of his cold neck and let her tears soak into his shirt. "I… love you… too." She sobbed.

The others watched through their own tears. Catherine looked down at Gil's hand, where it lay at his side, and noticed that he was clutching something. She gently opened his fingers and gasped when she saw the small, jewelry box.

Sara gently laid Gil's body back down on the pavement and looked at what Catherine saw. She looked up at the older woman through the tears in her eyes. "He told me he loved me, that it was his mother's."

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Sara wore the ring, proudly, on her left ring finger as she sat in the front row of the crowd who gathered in the cemetery. There were few rainy days in Nevada, and although the clouds grew dark and threatened to spill their own tears, they waited their turn.

The priest kept the message short and asked for members to pay their final respects. Sara sat in her seat and watched the others pass by. Friends gave her hugs and acquaintances shook her hand. The team stood by her side and waited for everyone to pass.

When the crowd had gone they gathered around Gil's casket. They stood in silence as they looked at the simple, box. Sara stood in silence and Jim stepped forward and laid his hand upon the casket.

"I'm gonna miss you, pal." Jim whispered through the lump in his throat. "I'll look out for her, and make sure she takes care of herself, just like I promised."

The others took their turns saying their last goodbyes to their friend and mentor and when they were done they walked to the cars and waited for Sara to take her time. She stepped forward and laid her left hand on the casket.

"I'm wearing your mother's ring, Gil… I'm never going to take it off." She bowed her head as she was overcome by her tears and rode out the bitter emotion. "I'll always love you, no matter what, and my heart will always belong to you."

When Sara had finished she began to walk back to the car. She stopped when she felt a warm breeze blow by and didn't mistake the feeling that it was like a lover's caress on her cheek. She looked back at Gil's final resting place and at that moment the clouds broke and the sun began to peak through. Its warm and comforting rays shone down on her and she could feel its warmth spread over her.

Gil's last words echoed in her mind and it was like he was saying them to her in that moment. "I love you, Sara."

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End file.
